Shloka 6

वासुदेवस्वरूपनिरूपणं—सर्गक्रमश्च

Vāsudeva’s Nature and the Ordered Process of Creation

Devanagari script

ज्ञानस्वरूपम् अत्यन्तनिर्मलं परमार्थतः तम् एवार्थस्वरूपेण भ्रान्तिदर्शनतः स्थितम्

Transliteration

jñānasvarūpam atyantanirmalaṃ paramārthataḥ tam evārthasvarūpeṇa bhrāntidarśanataḥ sthitam

Translation

In ultimate truth, He is pure consciousness itself—utterly stainless; yet, through the vision of delusion, that very One appears as though established in the form of objects.

Word by Word

• ज्ञानस्वरूपम्: whose nature is knowledge
• ज्ञानस्वरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानस्य स्वरूपम्)

• अत्यन्तनिर्मलम्: utterly pure
• अत्यन्तनिर्मलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्यन्त (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (अत्यन्तं निर्मलम्)

• परमार्थतः: in ultimate truth
• परमार्थतः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परमार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘from/according to the highest truth’

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• अर्थस्वरूपेण: by (as) the nature of meaning/reality
• अर्थस्वरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्थस्य स्वरूपेण)

• भ्रान्तिदर्शनतः: because of deluded perception
• भ्रान्तिदर्शनतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भ्रान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास-आधारित तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): भ्रान्तिदर्शनात्/भ्रान्तिदर्शनतः ‘due to erroneous perception’

• स्थितम्: abiding/appearing as
• स्थितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘standing/abiding’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Clarifying the Lord’s true nature versus appearances produced by delusion

Teaching: Philosophical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: In highest truth the Lord is stainless consciousness, while the world of object-forms is a misperceived appearance arising from deluded vision.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Practice viveka: observe how mind projects ‘objectness’ onto experience, and return attention to the witnessing consciousness while retaining devotion to the Supreme.

Vishishtadvaita: Frames the Lord as pure consciousness while allowing a real dependence-relationship: the ‘appearance as objects’ is due to bhrānti of the perceiver, not a denial of the Lord’s sovereignty over real categories.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the significance of describing Vishnu as jñānasvarūpa (pure consciousness) in the Vishnu Purana?

It establishes Vishnu as the ultimate, stainless reality—consciousness itself—prior to and independent of the changing world of names and forms.

How does Sage Parāśara explain bhrānti (delusion) in this context?

He indicates that the One Supreme appears as if it were the objective world only because perception is clouded by error; the appearance does not alter the Supreme’s true nature.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

The verse grounds Vaishnava metaphysics: Vishnu is the supreme, pure reality, while worldly multiplicity is an appearance conditioned by deluded vision, not a limitation in the Lord.